2020 NHL Draft Left Wing Rankings

What are NZ NHL scouts looking for in a player?

While the NZ staff looks at all the relevant data in their evaluations such as skating, size, passing, shooting, defending, etc. Ian specifically breaks down his process in evaluating talent for the NHL; which he admits is different than how he evaluates youth prospects.

Hockey Sense – All players at the highest levels can skate and pass and make plays. The MOST important differentiation when you get to the highest levels are the players who think the game, who can make smart decisions at top speed and have the awareness and vision to read the play both with and away from the puck.
Versatility – Most all the players on this list are leaders on their teams and in their leagues. They score goals, they play power play and get a lot of ice time. At the next level these propsects are going to be asked to block shots, to play only 8-10 minutes and kill penalties. The players who can play up and down the lineup, play center or wing; rush the puck or stay back and defend; are going to be major distinguishers of who makes it and who doesn’t. Only a very small group of prospects have the same role throughout their career.
Distinguishable Skill Set – The honest reality of the NHL is a player is going to have training camps, rookie camps and being called up to make an impression on the GM and the Head Coach. To do that you likely have to possess a skill or group of skills that really stand out. This could be playmaking ability, scoring ability, skating ability, toughness, high compete, etc. However, players with a skill set to hang their hat on have a higher chance of getting a shot in the league. Some players on the list, particularly on the bottom half, have 1 or 2 traits that are NHL caliber and that could get them a shot at the NHL but they’ll have to improve the rest of their game to stay there.

What do the grades mean?

One of Ian’s best attributes having played in the NHL for a long time is knowing what it takes to play professional hockey at the highest levels. The grades separate who are the pros and who are the prospects. Ian gives an “A” grade to players he believes can play in the NHL by the time they are 21 years old. “A-” players are prospects who are likely to have NHL careers but may take another year or two to make it. B+ prospects are players with a chance at having an NHL career but are more likely 23 years old or older before they get their real chance. The “B” ranked prospects have a chance to make it to the NHL but will need to improve in order to have a career and the rest B- are draftable, late bloomer types who are likely to be drafted but unlikely to have an NHL career. C+ and down are players who have some NHL level attribute but need to develop the rest of their game to make it up the list.

*NR = Not Ranked **NG = No Grade

FEB	APRIL	NAME	H	W	LEFT WING	TEAM	FEB GRADE	APR GRADE
1	1	Alexis Lafreniere	6′ 1″	193	LEFT WING	RIMOUSKI	A	A
2	2	Tim Stutzle	6′ 1″	187	LEFT WING	MANNHEIM	A	A
3	3	Lucas Raymond	5′ 11″	170	LEFT WING	FROLUNDA	A	A
4	4	Rodion Amirov	6′ 0″	167	LEFT WING	UFA	A-	A-
10	5	Lukas Reichel	6′ 0″	170	LEFT WING	EISBAREN BERLIN	B+	A-
5	6	John-Jason Peterka	5′ 11″	192	LEFT WING	MUNCHEN	A-	A-
8	7	Daniel Torgerson	6′ 3″	199	LEFT WING	FROLUNDA JR.	A-	A-
11	8	Jake Neighbors	6′ 0″	195	LEFT WING	EDMONTON	B+	A-
7	9	Luke Tuch	6′ 2″	203	LEFT WING	USA U-18	A-	A-
13	10	Carson Bantle	6′ 4″	195	LEFT WING	MADISON	B+	A-
6	11	William Cuylle	6′ 3″	204	LEFT WING	WINDSOR	A-	A-
15	12	James Hardie	5’11”	161	LEFT WING	MISSISSAUGA	B	B+
9	13	Antonio Stranges	5′ 10″	168	LEFT WING	LONDON	A-	B+
14	14	Danil Gushchin	5′ 8″	165	LEFT WING	MUSKEGON	B	B+
12	15	Brett Berard	5′ 8″	152	LEFT WING	USA U-18	B+	B+
NR	16	Pavel Gogolev	6’1″	179	LEFT WING	GUELPH	NG	B+
16	17	Carter Savoie	5′ 9″	192	LEFT WING	SHERWOOD PARK	B-	B
NR	18	Kyle Crnkovic	5’7″	161	LEFT WING	SASKATOON	NG	B
17	19	Cross Hanas	6′ 0″	167	LEFT WING	PORTLAND	B-	B
20	20	Yevgeni Oksentyuk	5′ 7″	157	LEFT WING	FLINT	B-	B
18	21	Hayden Fowler	5′ 10″	185	LEFT WING	ERIE	B-	B-
21	22	Carsen Richels	6′ 2″	223	LEFT WING	BLAINE	B-	B-
26	23	Jaydon Dureau	5’11”	174	LEFT WING	PORTLAND	C+	B-
23	24	Ben McCartney	6′ 0″	182	LEFT WING	BRANDON	C+	B-
24	25	Roby Jarventie	6’2″	185	LEFT WING	ILVES	C+	B-
25	26	Owen Pederson	6’3″	187	LEFT WING	WINNIPEG	C+	C+
NR	27	Ryan Kirwan	6’2″	194	LEFT WING	MADISON	NG	C+
27	28	Stephen Halliday	6’3″	220	LEFT WING	DUBUQUE	C+	C+
30	29	Pier-Olivier Roy	5’9″	168	LEFT WING	GATINEAU	C	C+
29	30	Gunnarwolfe Fontaine	5’8″	176	LEFT WING	CHICAGO	C+	C+
28	31	Aidan Thompson	5’10”	161	LEFT WING	BERKSHIRE	C+	C+
19	32	Raivis Ansons	6’1″	185	LEFT WING	BAIE-COMEAU	C	C
33	33	Luke Toporowski	5’10”	179	LEFT WING	SPOKANE	C	C
22	34	Elliot Desnoyers	5’11”	179	LEFT WING	MONCTON	C+	C
32	35	Alexander Servagno	5’9″	172	LEFT WING	GREEN BAY	C	C
36	36	Connor Bouchard	5’7″	154	LEFT WING	TRI-CITY	C	C
NR	37	Elis Hede	5’9″	143	LEFT WING	CHICAGO	NG	C
41	38	Simon Pinard	5’10”	172	LEFT WING	BLAINVILLE	C	C
NR	39	Chase Bradley	6’0″	181	LEFT WING	OMAHA	NG	C
NR	40	Chase Wheatcroft	6’2″	174	LEFT WING	LETHBRIDGE	NG	C
34	41	Owen Fowler	5’10”	190	LEFT WING	GOVERNOR’S	C	C
31	42	Andrei Bakanov	6’2″	218	LEFT WING	GUELPH	C	C
37	43	Michal Gut	6’0″	181	LEFT WING	EVERETT	C	C
35	44	Justin Hall	6’1″	207	LEFT WING	LETHBRIDGE	C	C
40	45	Tabor Heaslip	5’8″	157	LEFT WING	AVON OLD FARMS	C	C
NR	46	Brooklyn Kalmikov	6’0″	163	LEFT WING	VICTORIAVILLE	NG	C
39	47	Jaden Grant	6’2″	174	LEFT WING	SIOUX CITY	C	C
42	48	Timofei Khokhlachev	6’4″	209	LEFT WING	SHREVEPORT	C	C
43	49	Daniyal Dzhaniyev	5’4″	137	LEFT WING	USA U-18	C	C
38	50	Xander Lamppa	6’1″	203	LEFT WING	WATERLOO	C	C

Photo Credit:Dan Hickling/Hickling Images